True or False: You know a lot about the sequester?

Over the past few weeks, as lines at airports lengthened and delayed flights became more common place, the effects of the sequester seemed to hit a little closer to home.
Here is a list of 10 true-false questions that will test your knowledge about how much you know about the sequester.

How long . . .

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True or False: The budget cuts will only last one year?

How long . . .

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False

The sequester is projected to cut $1.2 trillion and is scheduled to last for nine years from 2013-2021.

Budget Control Act

Associated Press

True or False: The sequester was originally passed as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011?

Budget Control Act

Associated Press

True

Better known as the debt ceiling compromise, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011. The United States was threatened by sovereign default on August 3, 2011. This Act worked out a conclusion that ended the crisis. The automatic budget cuts known as the sequester were part of the provisions in this Act.

Social Security

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True or False: Social Security is being forced to cut spending because of the sequester?

Social Security

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False

Social Security is not a program scheduled to be cut due to the sequester.

Programs end

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True or False: Because of the sequester, programs will actually end?

Programs end

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False

According to The Washington Post, “The sequester cuts discretionary spending across-the-board by $109.3 billion a year from 2014-2021 and $85.4 billion in 2013. But no programs are actually eliminated. The effect is to reduce the scale and scope of existing programs rather than to zero out any of them.”

Head Start

Associated Press

True or False: Head Start and special education spending are on the chopping block and are being cut?

Head Start

Associated Press

True

Both of these programs are being impacted.

Airport delays

Associated Press

True or False: The problems the sequester caused at airports are still unresolved?

Airport delays

Associated Press

False

“On April 26, 2013, the House approved the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 (H.R. 1765) to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can end furloughs of air traffic controllers,” according to the Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Military cuts

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True or False: Military will see its pay and benefits cut?

Military cuts

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False

Military salaries are exempt from any change, but military benefits could be affected and are not exempt.

State cuts

Deseret News

True or False: Some states see more cuts than others?

State cuts

Deseret News

True

Here is a collection of tables of White House estimates of state-by-state impacts of sequestration.

Cuts to education

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True or False: Utah has the highest amount of education cuts?

Cuts to education

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False

California has the highest amount of money cut from the most categories in education.

Low-income programs

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True or False: Most mandatory programs, like Medicaid, and in particular low-income programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF or welfare) were exempt from the sequester?

Low-income programs

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True

However, according to the The Washington Post, “Some low-income programs, most notably aid for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), are subject to cuts.”